China declares success in latest anti-missile intercept test
- It is the second country after the US to possess interception technology which aims to knock out incoming missiles midflight
- Defence ministry says test was not targeted at any particular country and was defensive in nature
China tested its capability of knocking out an incoming missile during midflight on Thursday, with the defence ministry declaring the exercise a success. It is the second country to develop the technology after the US.
“The test was defensive in nature and not targeted at any particular country,” it said.
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Footage reportedly shows test of China’s missile interceptor
The authorities issued a no-fly warning near the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre in north China before the test. Photos and videos of a bright and colourful westward parabolic trail were circulating on social media, claimed to be taken by witnesses from Beijing to Xinjiang.
While the defence ministry said the test did not target any particular country, a source close to the PLA said the midcourse anti-ballistic missile test – which could intercept an incoming nuclear warhead – may be intended as a warning to India.
India is planning to deploy its longest range, most potent nuclear-capable ballistic missile Agni-V this year, The New Indian Express reported in January, citing defence sources. The report said the conflicts along the China-India border had fast-tracked the process. The Agni-V range is estimated to be over 5,000km.
“This is a technology that China has been developing for a long while. The Thursday test could be aimed at warning India, which used to adopt nuclear blackmail strategy when dealing with China,” said the Chinese military source, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue.